Genius Files Series: Your Blatant Plug for Every US Attraction

The Genius Files series, written by Dan Gutman, is a blatantly obvious attempt at getting you interested in every out-of-the-way sideshow that America has to offer.

Interspersed among the attractions along the highways and byways is a story line about the starring family's two kids - Coke and Pep (Can you say, "Product placement"?) - who are in mortal danger at the hands of several bungling evildoers every time they leave their parents to go off and look at something interesting, which turns out to be a facade for a devilish plot created by said evildoers.

Galaxy Zack: Hello, Nebulon! - An Introduction

I'll make this quick because Galaxy Zack: Hello, Nebulon! is a very quick read. I read it in one sitting. It's that kind of book. Not that it was a "real page turner". It was really just an introduction to the series. Nothing of significance actually happened. It was a quick read because there weren't many words on the page. It was almost like a comic book.

None of that is bad, in and of itself, but if a youngster had bought this book for himself, or if someone bought this book for a youngster, I fear said youngster would be sorely disappointed.

My Last Best Friend: What 4th Grade Is Really All About

Ida is starting 4th grade. Her best friend (from 3rd grade and before) has moved away, so this year she has no best friend to play with or just to be with.

At first Ida takes a "once bitten, twice shy" attitude towards finding another friend. Then she meets the new girl, Stacey, who is pretty much irresistible.

They do eventually become best friends, despite the efforts of the mean girl, Jenna, who rules the roost in the class and elsewhere.

I, Freddy: The Hamster You've Always Wanted

I, Freddy is the first in a series of 5 books in the Golden Hamster Saga. Calling this series a "saga" is a bit of an over-qualification. I've only read the first book, but I can safely say it's not part of what you normally think of as a saga.

As further proof that this is a non-saga series, I offer Wikipedia's one-line summary of the fifth book: Freddy must fight off Crusaders from the past to return to his own time. That's not saga-worthy. It's just weird. And that's fine, if you like that kind of thing. I might like it myself.